The receptacle of the present invention may be formed, for example, of plastic or sheet metal, and it is constructed so that it may be stacked on other like receptacles at different stacking levels when filled with products, or nested into like receptacles when empty so as to conserve space. The receptacles of the invention are intended primarily for use in the food industry, although they have general application in a wide variety of plants, warehouses, transportation vehicles, and the like.
The receptacles of the invention may be used, for example, in transporting and displaying bakery, or other goods. For example, a plurality of the receptacles may be loaded at the bakery with bakery goods and stacked on top of one another at the second stacking level by simple mechanical means, and they may then be transported in a stacked condition to the retail stores or markets. The stacked receptacles may then be positioned on the floor of the store or market so that the merchandise therein may be displayed and purchased. When the receptacles are empty, they may be stacked on one another at the first stacking level (nesting position) for space conservation purposes, and then returned to the bakery. Also, for higher bakery products, the receptacles may be stacked on top of one another at the third stacking level with a greater displacement than the second stacking level, this being achieved by rotating each receptacle at 180.degree. with respect to the preceding receptacle during the stacking operation.
The receptacles may also be stacked on top of one another in a longitudinally offset relationship and the resulting tier may be supported in a tilted position, such as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,879. In this manner the products in the individual receptacles move to the forward end of each receptacle by gravity feed as the products are removed. Moreover the receptacles may be stacked in a staggered relationship, if so desired.
The particular nestable and stackable receptacle of the present invention is advantageous in that it is capable of being nested or stacked without the need for moving bails or other movable parts, and without the need to slide the receptacles with respect to one another. Moreover, insofar as the second and third stacking levels are concerned, the receptacles may be stacked with a horizontal rotating motion so that simple automatic stacking machinery may be used. The improved receptacle to be described stacks with like receptacles in vertical alignment for optimum space conservation when in either the stacked condition or in the nested condition, or it may be offset, as mentioned above, for gravity feed, or stacked in a staggered relationship.
The receptacle of the invention preferably is formed of molded plastic, such as injection molded polypropylene, so as to be light, rugged and inexpensive in its construction. As will be described, the receptacle is capable of being stacked with other like receptacles at three distinct stacking levels to form, in each instance, a rigid and stable tier.
The receptacle of the invention is constructed so that merchandise therein may be readily accessible when the receptacle is stacked into a tier with other like receptacles, the merchandise being removable from the open ends of any of the receptacles of the tier without disturbing the other receptacles.
A particular unique feature of the receptacle of the present invention is that it may be stacked on other like receptacles, at two of its three stacking levels, by means of a simple operation, without any need to rotate or slide the receptacle relative to the other receptacles insofar as the first stacking level is concerned.
The receptacle of the present invention is of the same general type as the receptacle described and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,219,232; 3,398,840 and 3,608,921, all of which have issued in the name of the present inventor.